Where access to or within a structure or an area is restricted because of secured openings or where immediate access is necessary for life-saving or fire-fighting purposes, including but not limited to commercial and industrial structures, multifamily residential structures that have restricted access through a locked door or have a common corridor for access to the living units, governmental structures, healthcare facilities and schools and churches, shall be equipped with a key lock box at or near the main entrance or in such other location approved by the fire code official or designee. Multiple lock boxes may be required, at the discretion of the fire code official or designee. This provision shall not apply to single-family residential dwellings. An approved lock shall be installed on gates or similar barriers where required by the fire code official.
The owner of each structure constructed after the effective date of this article and subject to this article shall have a key lock box installed and operational prior to the issuance of an occupancy permit. The owner of each structure in existence on the effective date of this article and subject to the requirement of this article shall have one year from the effective date of this article to have a key lock box installed and operational. The operator of the building shall immediately notify the fire code official and provide the new key where a lock is changed or rekeyed, or any other information has changed which would require information contained within the box to be considered invalid.
The key lock box shall be an Underwriters Laboratory type and be compatible with an existing rapid entry key box system in use in the jurisdiction. The key lock box shall be equipped with a lock, which can be opened only with a key that is issued to the Township's emergency services or approved designees. Emergency vehicles shall each be equipped with one key that is held in a special security device. The owner of the structure is prohibited from obtaining or otherwise possessing a key to open the lock box.
The key lock box shall be mounted on the structure entrance at a height of five to six feet and within three feet thereof or such other location approved by the fire code official. Flush-mounted or recessed key lock box installations shall be permitted, provided that the key lock box is clearly marked. Once the key lock box is installed, the owner of the structure shall contact the official during regular office hours to arrange for the inspection of the key lock box and install the access keys and any other items required by this article.
The key lock box shall contain keys to all locked entrances/rooms whether on the interior or exterior of the structure, contact information, site plans or other approved items. If any of the contents of the key lock box must be removed or anything is to be added thereto, arrangements shall be made to open the key lock box, inspect the items to be added to or removed, and then lock the box.